Robert J. Mathews

Gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric characterisation of amiton and the recovery of amiton from concrete, paint, rubber and soil matrices

Amiton [O,O-diethyl S-[2-(diethylamino)ethyl] phosphorothiolate], is an organophosphorus chemical included in Schedule 2 of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Verification provisions under the CWC rely on the existence of a database of analytical information for scheduled chemicals and related compounds. Little analytical information is available for amiton. In this study, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) characterisation of amiton and its typical impurities (including by-products and degradation products), supported by selective GC detection and 31P NMR data, was undertaken. Twenty-one compounds, including a by-product unique to amiton from an industrial source, were identified. Involatile degradation products of amiton were derivatised to enable their identification by GC-MS. The recovery of amiton from matrices that may be expected in an inspection scenario (i.e. concrete, paint, rubber and soil) was also examined. Paint and concrete matrices were the most useful matrices for the detection of amiton, and its by-products and degradation products. Amiton was readily detected in these matrices after 28 days.

Impact of scientific developments on the Chemical Weapons Convention (IUPAC Technical Report)

This document represents the final report of discussions and conclusions arising from the workshop on Developments in Science and Technology Relevant to the Chemical Weapons Convention, held in Spiez, Switzerland in February 2012.

Central Nervous System-acting chemicals and the Chemical Weapons Convention: A former Scientific Adviser’s perspective

Abstract The term Incapacitating Chemical Agents (or Incapacitants) was chosen to describe different classes of chemical warfare agents that were being developed in the 1950s. This article considers some of the types of chemicals and their properties that have been discussed more recently under the terminology of Incapacitating Chemical Agents, including opioids of the fentanyl class, and how these psychochemicals are relevant to the Chemical Weapons Convention. This article argues that the term Incapacitating Chemical Agents is inaccurate and misleading and will be a potential cause of confusion when Member States of the Chemical Weapons Convention are discussing the types of toxic chemicals which are permitted for use for various law enforcement purposes including domestic riot control. This article then argues that the term Central Nervous System-acting chemicals is a more accurate and appropriate description of psychochemicals such as the fentanyls, and use of this term will hopefully facilitate a more constructive discussion within the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). In other words, it is important to ‘get the science clearly understood first’, to enable a more constructive discussion by policy-makers, lawyers and military experts.

La influencia de los principios humanitarios en la negociación de tratados sobre limitación de armamentos

En este centenario de la I Conferencia Internacional de la Paz de La Haya, es oportuno reflexionar sobre la influencia de los principios humanitarios en la negociacion de tratados multilaterales sobre control de armamentos. Dos de los tres temas de la conferencia de 1899 fueron las leyes de la guerra (o derecho internacional humanitario) y el control de armas y el desarme . No cabe duda de que parte de la motivacion de 1899, y ciertamente de la II Conferencia Internacional de la Paz de La Haya de 1907, al considerar estos dos temas, fue la preocupacion humanitaria por aliviar el sufrimiento de las victimas del conflicto armado 2 . Tras 100 anos de elaboration de leyes en ambos embitos, el aniversario de 1999 es oportuno para evaluar hasta que punto los principios humanitarios han seguido influyendo en los esfuerzos para regular los efectos de determinadas armas.